My Little Greenfinch & Sweet Nightingale
by Harley's Little Harlequin
Summary: What if after Lucy died from taking the arsenic Nellie was able to keep Johanna from the lecherous hands of Judge Turpin and raise her, how would Sweeney react to when he returns to discover his daughter raised by his former landlady and his wife gone?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: 'Ello loves, well it seems I have plot bunnies to thank once again for this idea, I do hope you'll enjoy it and on a side note it came to my attention that I had been spelling Johanna wrong in my story 'Scars of Our Hearts' so I wanted to apologise for that now seeing as the next chapter of Scars of Our Hearts is still underway. Now enough of my ramblings, oh dear I'm turning into Lovett, please enjoy the story and let me know your thoughts.**_

Chapter 1.

The chilled London air nipped at Eleanor Lovett's skin through the knitted shawl over her shoulders but she hardly felt it as she clutched a bundle of blankets to her chest while her back pressed against the wall of her pie shop under the stairs that led up to the apartment she had formerly been renting to the Barkers. Her heart beat wildly in her rib cage making an unreal feeling that it would give her away raise in her stomach, she swallowed the feeling peeking down at the bundle in her arms, nestled in the blankets slept a small infant oblivious to what was going on in the dead of night.

The sound of footsteps made her hold the sleeping babe closer and look up through the slots in the stairs to see a uniformed officer open the sided door to her shop and look around in the dark before straightening and turning to face a new person as he approached.

"Where is the girl?"

Nellie shuddered as the cold drawling voice of judge Andrew Turpin pierced the night and made bile rise in her throat. The officer seemed to swallow thickly.

"She's not in the shop sir."

There was a moment of silence before the sound of footsteps drew nearer to where Nellie was hid making her press her back against the cold wall as much as she could thankful for the first time in her 20 years that the constant smog clouds were hazing over the rays of the full moon above so she was bathed in shadow. She watched as Turpin's form came closer to the stairs then stopped his eyes locked on the apartment above before they narrowed.

"And the baker?"

The officer shook his head though the judge couldn't see.

"No sign of her either sir."

Turpin sneered before turning on his heel and approached the officer.

"Check every possible hiding place in the two shops, the bake house, check under the bloody beds if you must but find them!"

The officer nodded fiercely as he watched the seething man leave before he began searching the shops again still unaware of the baker under the stairs cradling the swaddled baby girl against her chest she let out a shaky sigh through the vice grip around her lungs. Resting her head back against the wall Nellie slowly slid to the ground breathing a little easier as she heard the officer leave but she couldn't bring herself to move from her hiding spot as she looked down at the still sleeping girl in her arms feeling tears prick her eyes. In the course of only a month little Johanna Barker had become no more than an orphan after her father had been arrested on a trumped up charge and only days ago her mother swallowed a bottle of arsenic in her despair and killed herself.

A cold wind blew over the pair making Johanna whimper against the chill her brown eye fluttering open to look at the auburn haired woman holding her before she began to fuss at being out in the cold.

"Shh it's alright darlin', everythin' is gunna be fine."

She whispered softly as she got to her feet and slowly re-entered her shop looking around at the mess the officer had made in his search for her and Johanna. In her arms Johanna calmed down and was playing with the blanket around her making Nellie give a small smile as she walked to the parlor and laid her on the carpet undoing the blankets so Johanna could move about without the restraint. After lighting a fire in the fireplace Nellie sat on the floor beside the child thinking over what she was feeling, she was happy about the fact she now had a child to raise and not just any child the child of the man she had fallen hopelessly in love with the moment he showed up on her doorstep, but she was also the child of the woman that had been by his side that day and now they were both gone making a weight of sadness push on her heart.

She looked at the now slumbering Johanna and gave a shaky sigh before sitting straighter determination glowing in her eyes like the fire light. She wouldn't feel sorry and let the child suffer, no she'd be strong and raise her as mother and father in place of Benjamin and Lucy.

XxXx

3 years had passed since that cold night Nellie had hid under the stairs with baby Johanna to keep themselves out of the hands of a lecherous judge and now Johanna was 4 years old. Like any child she was full of energy so keeping her in the parlor or bedroom during the hours the shop was open was all but impossible for Nellie. Currently Nellie was standing in the bakehouse pulling a tray of fresh baked pies and replacing them with uncooked ones while Johanna sat on the stairs drawing patterns in the flour that had been tracked down over time before looking up at the baker as she shut the heavy iron door to the oven holding a tray of pies in one hand.

Johanna smiled and picked up the porcelain plate Nellie had given her as part of a tea set as she stood looking up at Nellie.

"I help mommy!"

Nellie smiled looking down at the little girl holding up the plate barely big enough for one pie. Taking one of the smaller pies from the tray in her hand Nellie set it gently on the plate and watched as Johanna's eyes lit up happy to be helping.

"Alright darlin' back up stairs before it gets cold."

Johanna nodded and began carefully walking up the stairs with Nellie a step behind making sure she didn't fall. Once back in the shop Johanna made her way to a man sitting alone at a table and set the plate on the surface before pushing it to him standing on tip toes to see over the edge of the table.

"Here you go sir! Nice and hot!"

The man looked at her with dark eyes as she smiled brightly but drew his eyes up as Nellie came over and put a hand on Johanna's shoulder making her look up curiously.

"You've been a big 'elp love, there's cookies and milk in the parlor, go on now."

Johanna smiled widely and hurried from the shop out of sight, once she was gone Nellie turned to look at the man at the table straightening herself as she narrowed her eyes.

"Well look what the cat drug in, what can I do for the ever 'onorable Judge Turpin?"

Turpin narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before the raked over her body making her shift her weight from one foot to the other to hide a shudder as she waited for an answer from him.

"I want the child Eleanor. I've been a patient man over the past 3 years, offering you money enough to move away from London and forget all of this, but no longer, it would be a shame if you were sent away for stealing, of course you'd be happy with that, getting to see that mongrel Barker again if he's still alive."

It took every ounce of self control Nellie had within herself not to grab the pie on the table and toss it in his face so she settled for an eye roll and disgusted look.

"I told ya that I don't want your filthy money and I ain't lettin' you 'ave that sweet little girl no matter what you threaten me with."

She nodded curtly once and turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist in an iron tight grip making her turn to look at him a dangerous look in her eyes.

"Let go of me you lecherous arse or so 'elp me I'll scream blood murder, the sheriff is just outsi-"

Her words were cut off when his grip tightened nearly breaking her small wrist as he stepped closer to her, barely a breath between them, so she could smell the awful cologne he wore.

"I suggest you remember to whom you are speaking Eleanor, now I give you one final offer, should you refuse then you will face the consequences."

Nellie narrowed her eyes puffing out her chest like a cat makes itself look bigger to scare a predator.

"You can take the offer and shove it up your own bloody arse, that little girl is all I 'ave and no amount of money will be enough, nothin' ever will be."

Turpin's face broke into a wicked smirk as he watched the fire in her eyes.

"Nothing you say, what if I promised to return Benjamin Barker to you in place for the girl?"

Nellie felt an invisible knife stab her heart and pull all the air from her lungs but she kept up her facade though her will wavered in her eyes before him. She felt a light tug on her skirts making her look down to see Johanna looking up at her with chocolate covered lips and drooping eyes. turpin released her wrist at once and watched as Nellie knelt down and lifted the child onto her hip before leering at him once more.

"My answer stays the same sir, now get out of my shop."

Without another word she walked away holding Johanna close as she mingled with the few remaining customers. Angered Turpin left the shop once again empty handed making Nellie inwardly sigh in relief as she watched him go from the corner of her eye. Later that evening Nellie was laying in bed with Johanna reading to her out of a book of fairy tales until the child was asleep. With a sigh she closed the book and set it aside before blowing out the candle she'd been reading by plunging the room into darkness and electing another sigh from her lips as she stared into the darkness feeling Johanna's breath on her shoulder as she slept.

Turning her head she kissed the head of blond curls on her shoulder humming softly as Johanna stirred.

"Nothin's gunna 'arm you darlin' not while I'm around. Demons can charm you for awhile but nothin's gunna 'arm you, not while I'm around."

Johanna settled as Nellie sang softly to her making the woman smile and push the thoughts of Turpin and his empty threats from her head thinking instead of a day she could take Johanna far away from London and away from people like turpin. She was close just a couple more years and she'd have enough to afford train tickets and a home by the sea where they could live a happy new life. With a sigh Nellie fell asleep with images of Johanna running along the shore laughing and happy dancing behimd her closed lids.

 _ **Well everyone I hoped you liked it chapter 1! Don't forget to leave thoughts, comments, or concerns in a review for me, they are what keep me writing! thank you all again!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hello loves! sorry for the wait but I've been busy and the heat has made me unmotivated to write (Well type I hand write all my stories first) but I'm buckling down and picking back up so please enjoy! On a note for this, yes Nellie knew it was Benjamin that walked into her shop by the way he looked at Johanna like he seen a ghost.**_

Chapter 2.

15 long years had passed since Benjamin Barker had been ripped from his family and sent away on a false charge but as Sweeney Todd stepped off the docks and onto the street he could see nothing had changed in London apart from the filth he now seen that had been hid by his naive nature before. He looked around the darkened streets before he began walking through the alleys his mind set on a particular pie shop on Fleet Street. When he reached the street he could see how time had worn the buildings and how they had changed, the butcher shop where the whole of Fleet Street had got meat from was now a revolting looking pub with whores standing out front calling to him even if there words fell on deaf ears.

He finally found the shop he was searching for, 186 Fleet Street Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium, it looked to be in slightly better condition than the other buildings but it too showed the signs of age in it's time chipped paint and faded wood. The windows were lit dimly by a single oil lamp but he could see shadows being thrown as someone moved around within the shop. He made his way to the door peering in through the grimy window as he opened it to revile the kitchen of the shop where behind the flour dusted counter a woman lazily chopped an onion while brushing a stubborn auburn curl out of her face now and again with a small lace and flour covered hand. His brow furrowed as he looked at the dainty woman, surely this wasn't his Lucy her hair had been yellow and no where near as wild as this woman's mane.

As if sensing his eyes on her the woman looked up meeting his gaze with chocolate colored eyes that made a name rush to his mind, Eleanor Lovett the baker that had rented the room above to Benjamin and Lucy years before. He watched as she smiled setting down her knife and wiped her hands on her black skirts.

"Sorry dear but we're closin' for the night, come back tomorro-"

"Don't turn him away, we can spare a pie and some gin mum, he looks like he's been traveling for some time."

Nellie's words were cut of by the words coming from the parlor doorway making Sweeney turn his gaze to the source his chest tightening as soon as he did for standing at the threshold with a thick leather bound book in her arms stood a girl with yellow hair that fell down her shoulders and back like corn silk, her features were that of an angel and made from flawless ivory porcelain, and her eyes were a soft warm brown, though not as deep as the bakers, as she smiled at him looking almost a carbon copy of Lucy but that was impossible, she'd called Nellie mum.

Nellie sighed looking at the girl but smiled grabbing a plate from under the counter blowing the flour from it before placing a pie from the counter behind her onto it and walked to a table setting it down looking at him with a kind smile.

"Well 'ave a seat love, Johanna can you get the gin from the parlor?"

The blonde nodded and set the thick volume on a table before hurring from the room. Once she was gone Nellie looked at Sweeney, who staired after Johanna, and sighed placing her tiny hands on his shoulders pushing him to sit in the booth where the table that held the pie was ignoring the leer she got in return before sitting across from him a knowing look in her brown eyes.

"Lovely isn't she? 16 already, seems only yesterday she were totterin' around the shop."

Sweeney said nothing but gave her a look that had pain and sadness glimmering in his onyx eyes before looking back to Johanna as she re-entered the room holding a bottle of gin and a glass. She set them on the table smiling before looking to Nellie.

"Will you be able to close up alone?"

Nellie smiled and nodded as she reached up a hand to tuck a strand of the girl's hair behind her ear.

"I'll be fine darlin' you go off to bed."

Johanna leaned in and placed a kiss to the baker's cheek before retreating back to the parlor followed a moment later by the sound of closing door. As soon as the door closed Nellie poured some of the gin into the glass nudging it to Sweeney who took it but didn't drink as he lifted his eyes to meet Nellie's.

"Where is Lucy? Where is my wife?"

Nellie looked down at the table top biting her lip.

"She's gone, poisoned 'erself with arsenic I kept for rats, 'course it were the bloody judge's fault she did it."

Sweeney's eyes narrowed at the name and his hand gripped the glass tighter.

"Judge Turpin? What did he do to her?"

Nellie shifted uncomfortably before getting up and going to the counter picking a damp rag before she began wiping it down.

"Invited 'er to 'is 'ouse not long after you was sent away, when she arrived there was a ball going on, she drank a drugged drink and...and 'e took advantage of 'er state to r-rap 'er. I did all I could to try and stop 'er but she wouldn't listen, after she took the poison 'e came for Johanna, I knew I couldn't let that prevent 'ave 'er so we 'id outside under the stairs. Of course 'e never gave up, over the past 15 years the bastard's tried to take 'er from me but I never let 'im, I'd die before I let that 'appen."

As she finished speaking she looked over her shoulder hearing glass crack to find his death grip on the tumbler of gin was too much for glass and a deep crack had formed in the tumbler.

"So you raised her and never told her of Lucy or Benjamin?"

Sweeney was looking into space but his tone was like ice and thick with accusation making her flinch.

"No I raised 'er and told 'er when she was 11 about 'er parents but she's always known me as mum so she kept to it. She knows about Lucy being 'er mother and you being 'er father but she told me that because I raised 'er and loved 'er that I was basically 'er mum so I didn't tell 'er otherwise."

Sweeney stayed silent for a moment before pushing the cracked tumbler away from himself before leering at the table.

"15 years in a hell on earth, 15 years dreaming I might come home to a wife and child instead I find my wife gone and my daughter raised by someone who is not her mother."

Nellie sighed turning to face him with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to the side slightly as her eyebrows furrowed.

"Well I'm afraid the years 'aven't been very kind to ya Mr. Barker."

Sweeney shook his head finally looking at her.

"Not Barker, it's Todd now, Sweeney Todd and I will have my revenge." 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It seemed Nellie had no more than gotten to sleep, after listening to the pacing footsteps in the room above her own for half the night, when the pale grey light of dawn steamed into her room making her groan and turn her head into her pillow dozing back to sleep. Moments later the door opened with a soft creak followed by light footsteps before the mattress beside her dipped down.

"Mum time to get up, it's market day."

Nellie turned her head enough to see Johanna leaning over her before she groaned pulling the blankets up over her ears as if the cotton would block out the teen beside her.

"It's only dawn love, go back ta bed and wake me in an 'our or two."

She mumbled sleepily trying to sleep again until Johanna yanked the covers off her making her huff and run her hands over her face.

"Alright alright, I'm up little miss 'I'm up with the bloody sun'!"

Johanna smiled triumphantly dropping the blanket back onto the bed before leaving to let Nellie get dressed. With a groan Nellie drug herself out of bed and began dressing for the day, she was in the process of tying her corset strings, trying not to get her hair tangled into the strings as she did, when a shriek came from the shop making her jump.

"Johanna?!"

The word hardly left her mouth before she threw open the door and ran to the hop, corset hardly tied and her hair hanging frizzily to the middle of her back, to find the girl sitting on the counter holding her rolling pin while watching the floor for any movement.

"What the bleedin' 'ell did you scream for?!"

Johann looked at her before dropping the rolling pin and rushing to her side.

"A rat the size of a small cat! it ran right through the kitchen!"

Nellie tried not to laugh as she shook her head and patted the girl's shoulder, she had seen Johanna face many of their drunken customers and more touchy customers without so much as shuddering so it was laughable to see her scared by a rat.

"We'll get some arsenic or lye from the apothecary on the way back love."

"Can't we just get a cat? It'll cost less and you wouldn't need to worry if you left it out around customers. Please mum?"

Nellie's brows knitted together as she looked into the teen's pleading brown eyes before sighing.

"Darlin' we've talked about this, if we get a cat it'll be under foot while we work, besides we know what Mrs. Mooney does to wonderin' pussy cats."

As she spoke Nellie turned to walk back to her room tying her corset once more grumbling as strands of her hair got caught between the laces. Johanna followed with a charming pouty look as she crossed her arms.

"I'd make sure it stays out of the way and away from Mrs. Mooney, please mum it'll take care of the rodents and you'll hardly know it's here...please mummy?"

Nellie turned to look at the girl regretting it at once as she now faced the full force of the girl's begging pout, with big brown eyes and her lower lip quivering. Will crumbling Nellie sighed as she gave up trying to pin up her auburn mane and just run a brush through it before facing Johanna once more.

"Alright, we'll look, but only look we can't get one just yet."

Johanna squeaked with childish joy throwing her arms around her mother before retreating from the room practically skipping with joy. Nellie shook her head watching the girl leave through the mirror of her vanity before pulling a brush through her tangled hair growling when the wooden handle snapped in her hand.

"Damned thing!"

She sighed looking at the two pieces as she set them on the dresser, the brush had been given to her as a girl in hopes it would hold up to her hair but 21 years of use had finally taken it toll on it.

"Looks like I'll 'ave to get a new one."

With a final sigh she walked out of her room and to the shop smiling as she found Johanna sitting at one of the tables bent over a sketch book, her pencil flying across the page matching the rhythm of the rain now drumming against the window. Now that it was raining going to the market was impossible causing Nellie to huff in annoyance though it gave way to curiosity as she moved to stand behind Johanna and look over her shoulder at what she was drawing. As soon as she set eyes on the drawing she gave a silent gasp as the profile of Benjamin Barker looked up at the ceiling from the paper.

The drawing could have been a photo but there was something wrong,two if you counted johanna had never seen a real photo of her father just what Nellie had told her he looked like then there was a coldness in his eyes that the man had been incapable of feeling much less showing. As if finally feeling someone looking over her shoulder Johanna looked up from the drawing and over her shoulder at Nellie smiling.

"It's coming along wonderfully isn't it?"

Nellie struggled to speak for a moment before nodding.

"Yes it is darlin'. Who is 'e?"

Johanna's smile faded as she looked back at the drawing, looking into the eyes.

"I'm not sure, his face looks familiar but I imagine where I've seen it."

Nellie put a hand on her shoulder then placed her chin on her hand.

"'E looks a lot like your father, everythin' but the eyes, your father could never give such a cold look to anyone or anythin', just a kind soul 'e was."

As she spoke Nellie looked up at the ceiling as if waiting to hear the footfalls from before but they never came as Johanna followed her gaze.

"He was up all night, pacing, I heard him, maybe he's sleeping like some kind of vampire."

Johanna giggled then laughed as Nellie turned to face her with a look of mock seriousness.

"Now really love you've 'ad your 'ead in them books of yours to much, givin' yourself dilutions you are."

Johanna rolled her eyes and managed to stop laughing as she watched Nellie make a small meal of eggs and toast splitting it between two plates, setting on on a tray and the other on the counter for Johanna to get when she wanted it. Nellie lifted the tray in her hands walking to the side door of the shop looking back at Johanna, who had returned to drawing.

"If I'm not back in 15 minutes the new resident vampire sucked all my blood."

She waited for a response for a moment but when she didn't get one she hurried out into the rain and up the stairs to the barber shop not bothering to knock, too eager to get out of the rain, and opened the door.

"Mornin' Mr. T, I brought you some breakfast."

Sweeney looked away from the street outside the picture window to Nellie's reflection before turning to ace her holding a sleek silver razor in his hands making Nellie stiffen. She had hidden the 7 silver razors shortly after Benjamin had been taken so Lucy couldn't use them to take her own life, how marvellously that prevented her from finding other means, and now Sweeney had found them under the loose floorboard.

"You kept them."

It wasn't question but Nellie set the tray on the large trunk by the door and nodded.

"Bit crazy to do it, times gettin' 'ard, I could've sold 'em but I thought if on the whisp of a chance you came back you'd want them so I 'id 'em before Lucy…"

She trailed off as Sweeney turned away from her making her sigh as she turned to leave. She was just about to close the door and return down stairs when she heard two words whispered soft enough to have been imagined.

"Thank you."

Nellie stood in the doorway unsure what to say or do before she gathered herself and nodded once, catching Sweeney looking at her reflection in the window, before leaving and closing the door behind her feeling a bit light hearted, and ever so slightly headed, as she did so. The thunder clashing over her head brought her back to her head making her hurry down the stairs to the door of her shop only to stop in the pouring rain to look at what was sitting by the door waterlogged and looking at her with piercing emerald eyes.

 _ **A/N: Sorry this took so long to update with my excitement at being able to work on Light after the dark again I forgot to finish typing this chapter, I hope you can forgive me if my heads a little veg but now I'm hoping to work more with this story as well as the light after the dark and once I get the kinks worked out The Scars of Our Hearts. once again thank you all for reading these stories cause they really are keeping me from dying of boredom.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nellie stood in the cold pouring rain staring at what was blocking her way inside. He was black as night with emerald eyes that seemed to pierce her soul but one very distinct, and odd, feature that he sported was a streak of white from his forehead to the top of his head, it reminded her very much of a certain barber she had just spoken to sort of. Nellie shook herself and walked to the door looking down at the cat for a moment before with a heavy sigh she opened the door and let him in ahead of herself.

"It's rainin' cat and dogs out there."

Nellie gave a small chuckle at her own joke as she closed the door and watched the cat wander over to Johanna before sitting watching her flicking his tail as he did so. After a moment Johanna looked up feeling someone watching her before a rough meow made her look down at the cat meeting his piercing green eyes. The sight of the cat took a minute to register in the girl's mind before she smiled hugely and carefully knelt down in front of the creature and offered her hand to him, which he promptly sniffed then rubbed against purring.

"Oh mum he's beautiful! Where did he come from?!"

Nellie shrugged walking over and knelt down as well lightly stroking the cat as he purred.

"'E was sittin' outside on the step in the rain, couldn't leave 'im there me gentle 'eart wouldn't let me."

Johanna looked up from the cat her lower lip protruding as crocodile tears filled her eyes making Nellie sigh with a small smile and stand straight again.

"We can't keep 'im…"

Johanna's face fell at once as she scooped the cat into her arms stroking his fur so he purred loud and clear.

"Let me finish talkin' 'fore you get worked up. We can't keep 'im if 'e ain't got a name."

Johanna blinked before setting the cat down and stood throwing her arms around Nellie's neck smiling wider than possible.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Nellie chuckled hugging the blonde teen and kissing her head.

"You're welcome love, now what are ya goin' to call 'im?"

Johanna removed herself from the hug and picked up the cat scratching under his chin smiling softly.

"Balthazar, I'll call him Balthazar from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."

Nellie gave a small laugh.

"Was there really a Balthazar in that one?"

Johanna nodded petting the newly dubbed Balthazar on the head smiling.

"He was a minor character but yes there was."

Nellie shook her head but looked at the pair as Balthazar looked up at Johanna and meowed upon hearing his name as if he'd known it all along making the girl smile.

"See he likes it."

Nellie rolled her eyes putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Alright love go put 'im in the parlor, the rains lettin' up so we can go to the market now."

Johanna nodded and hurried off to the parlor, as Nellie fixed her lace gloves more securely onto her hands chuckling when her daughter told Balthazar to stay put and off the furniture until they got back followed by a responsive meow before the blonde came back smiling happily.

"Do you "onestly think 'e'll listen ta what you told 'im?"

Johanna looked up at her mother crossing her arms.

"Yes I do, he's a smart cat he'll be good."

Nellie rolled her eyes opening the door before following johanna out.

"Alright but if 'e 'as the parlor ripped to shreds when we get back you're fixin' it all by yourself.

Nellie didn't hear her daughter's reply as she glanced back at the shop feeling a cold stare on her back. Two onyx eyes met her own through the grimed glass of the second floor shop making her sigh and turn back to catch up with Johanna as they neared the market.

Once they arrived they made their way around getting things they needed. After a few stalls Johanna wondered ahead to a cart selling books making Nellie smile but roll her eyes as she stopped at a vender selling spices. She was in the process of bargaining with the man over the price of a bundle of dried rosemary and a bundle of lavender when a loud scream sounded over the normal noise of the market making her jump and whirl around, eyes searching wildly for Johanna.

Her eyes caught sight of the girl's dress before she seen what was going on. Johanna was being pulled away from where she was by two men in uniform to a waiting carriage making Nellie's heart stop beating as she dropped her shopping basket and ran after the men only to be stopped only feet away by hand grabbing her arm.

"JOHANNA!"

Turning away from the scene of her daughter being drug away she readied herself to tell her restrainer to let her go before she knocked their block off, but upon seeing who was holding her her tongue froze and panic squeezed her chest as she came face to face with Beadle Bamford who was smiling evilly at her.

"Now now madame don't interfere with something that does not concern you."

Suddenly Nellie's tongue unfroze as she ripped her arm free of his slimy hold and clenched her hands into fists.

"Doesn't concern me?! 'Ow dare you?! She's my daughter! Let 'er go NOW, you 'ave no right takin' 'er!"

Taking advantage of the beadle's stunned silence Nellie turned on her heel and ran to the carriage grabbing the door handle looking in at Johanna who was still fighting to get away from her captors as she cried.

"Mummy help me!"

Nellie tried to yank the door open but the man sitting closest to the window reached out and grabbed her throat and shoved her back hard enough she slammed into the Beadle's chest. The Beadle wrapped his arm around her waist holding her in place to watch the carriage speed off through the street.

"JOHANNA! NO!"

Fighting harder against the man holding her she failed to see him raise the blunt end of his walking stick before colliding it with her skull so she went weak in his hold before he let her drop to the cobbled ground to disoriented to move as the Beadle got into another carriage that drove off after the first.

After a moment Nellie got to her feet ignoring her throbbing head as panic filled her chest and brought her to the verge of hyperventilating. What was she going to do?! The judge had Johanna in his claws and she had no clue how to help her or even how to begin telling Sweeney...Sweeney! That was it! She'd without a doubt get a good yelling at but maybe he'd be able to help her think of something, anything, to help Johanna.

Ignoring the stares of people around her Nellie ran as fast as she could back to Fleet Street and up to Sweeney's shop throwing the door open so it hit the wall behind it with a loud crash making the barber whirl around from where he had been at the window in time to see Nellie fall to her knees struggling to form words between panting and sobbing gasps. Looking at his landlady Sweeney could practically feel her panic fill the room. He stood and went to stand in front of her trying to recall her ever looking so distressed but only one came to mind and it wasn't even of Nellie but of Lucy on the day he was taken away from her and Johanna….Johanna! Where was she, surely if the women she looked a a mother was in this much distress she'd be here at her side.

"Where is Johanna Mrs. Lovett?"

Nellie looked up at Sweeney her eyes overflowing with tears as she sniffled.

"'E took 'er Mr. T! The judge! 'E sent the Beadle and two uniformed men and they took 'er!" 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"'E's got 'er! The judge!"

Sweeney was frozen as Nellie's words filled his ears. As he let the words seep into his head he didn't even notice Nellie getting to her feet unsteadily until she began falling and his arms darted out in reflex to catch her before she collided with the floor. Looking down at the baker ready to demand to know what exactly happened but the words turned to ash in his throat as as he seen she had fallen into unconsciousness, ready to let her fall to the ground and leave her he froze once more feeling something warm and slick drip onto his hand.

Upon further examination he found blood dripping from a gash on the back of Nellie's head staining her already flaming curls darker red. Something stirred inside him as he looked from the gash to Nellie's wild mane of auburn curls, her ashen face though still pained and panicked even in uncouthness was hardly touched by the years that had passed did little to dull her features even if her cheeks were not as full as they used to be and her lips hidden under thick red lipstick were as full as they were as full as they had been before, the laugh lines around her mouth showed that even as the world around her went to hell she was able to find something to keep her going and keep her sane, something that was now gone, ripped away just as he was from his own family years before.

Shaking his head he moved his hands and lifted her into his arms slightly surprised and worried when most of the weight he felt was more from her dress than herself. He carried her to the barely used cot at the back nook of the room and carefully laid her down but was at a loss of what to do next, he knew he had to stop the bleeding and clean the wound less it be deep and get infected but for all he knew there were no bandages or gauze in the house to patch up the gash with.

As if on a mechanism his brain pulled memories, of doctors in Australia disinfecting the prisoner's wounds with alcohol before binding them with any rag they could find, out of the fog in his mind. After making sure Nellie wasn't going to move he went down to her shop and through to her parlor locating the gin bottle stashed on a shelf and hidden by books, as he took the bottle from it's spot he noticed something else hidden behind the books that winked at him in the dull grey light. Hesitating a moment he grabbed the object and brought it out of the shadows to see it clearer.

As soon as the framed photo was exposed to the light the same stirring in his chest occured again as he looked over the picture of Benjamin and Nellie sitting together in the park, between them propped up in Nellie's arms was Johanna as an infant. Another fuzzy memory was brought to the forefront of his mind, a memory of a warm spring day spent in the park. Nellie had been asked by Benjamin to join himself, Lucy and Johanna for a picnic. Lucy had been bitter about it at first but came to terms with it as Johanna seemed fond of Nellie and had taken the picture of the trio.

Sweeney shook himself and put the photo back before returning upstairs grabbing the clean cloth draped over the back of his barber's chair before kneeling beside the bed where Nellie still lay, the room felt to quiet without her normal chatter but he could only guess the shock of having Johanna taken away and whatever hit her head was to much for her thus leaving her unconscious. Seeing red stain part of the white pillow he carefully lifted her head and slowly dripped the gin over the gash ignoring the mix of alcohol and blood running onto his hand and instead taking interest in Nellie's expression. She was whimpering in her sleep each time the liquid touched the gash but she didn't stir otherwise past an occasional flinch.

Once he was satisfied with the cleaning of the gash he set the bottle aside and carefully dabbed the remaining blood away from her scalp revealing the gash to be more of a cut, but the amount of blood would have anyone believe otherwise, and that it had stopped bleeding. Breathing a little easier he fixed the pillow so her head wouldn't be resting on the blood soaked cloth before setting her head back down. Taking another look at her face, looking for other injuries, he found himself gently brushing a stray wisp of red away from her forehead letting his fingers linger on her skin as they moved her cheek.

Coming back to his mind he yanked his hand away as if burnt and moved away from the cot and across the room to the window looking over all of Fleet Street trying to make sense of the sudden tenderness he felt for his landlady. He was brought back out of his thoughts by a small sound from where Nellie was making look over to find the baker trembling as though she were in a nightmare and tears slid down her cheeks as she whimpered on small word. 

"J-Johanna…."

Hearing his daughter's name brought him to the revelation that he needed to rescue Johanna not just for himself but for Nellie, who had raised the girl in his place without question or complaint when she could have just as easily sent the girl to an orphanage and let her become someone else's responsibility, but she hadn't for the same reason she kept his razors, she had hoped he'd return and when he did she wanted him to have as much of what he'd lost returned as possible.

Without much thought he moved back to the cot side and after slight hesitation took her small hand in his own as he pulled over the stool from his desk and sat on it looking at their hands as her's gripped his, both taking comfort in feeling the contact before he sighed leaning his back against the wall.

"We'll get her back and the judge will pay for what he's done...to the both of us."

Feeling slight comfort from his words and the thought of finally getting his revenge on the judge allowed him to fall into perhaps one of the easiest sleeps he'd had in years as outside the window the clouds cleared to reveal a nearly clear night sky and a full moon. 

_**A/N: Sorry this chapter isn't very long but it is rather late at night as I'm typing this and I saved the better parts for later, don't want to spoil my lovely readers to much in one day, but I can asure you I will have the other's ready in no time at all so thank you all for your reading and reviews loves I do hope you all stick around for more!**_


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